The 46-year-old victim said two officials in the mosque accused him of stealing jars of money from the house of worship after morning prayers on Monday.

The officials, described in police reports as the mosque’s imam and amir, dragged the victim to the rear of the mosque, and attempted to chop off his hand with a machete, according to a police statement. He sustained a severe laceration to his right wrist, and was transported to a nearby hospital by medics.

I’m starting to think all mosques in America need a full-time PR flack to do damage control. Stuff like this really isn’t helping the “Religion of Peace” image.